Vista's Petty answers bell in rivalry game

VISTA - Though she battled a back injury earlier this softball
season and recently sprained her ankle, Vista High pitcher Brooke
Petty would never miss a game against rival Rancho Buena Vista.

The Longhorns probably wish the senior would take a day off.

Petty struck out 15, including seven consecutive Longhorns, to
help keep the Panthers in the Avocado League title race with a 4-2
victory over visiting RBV on Wednesday.

Both of the runs given up by Petty - who improved to 12-2 after
allowing five hits and walking two - were unearned.

"Those are the best games against Rancho," Petty said. "I know
the game is never over against Rancho until the last inning, and
that makes me nervous.

"My hands are still shaking. You just have to work through the
butterflies."

There were no butterflies on the outside as Petty was in
control, throwing first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 29 Longhorns she
faced.

Petty allowed just one runner into scoring position through the
first five innings. Nicole Lopez's leadoff single in the sixth led
to a 1-0 lead for RBV (12-11, 3-2). The run scored when Lauren
Nelson's line drive was dropped in right field with two outs.

The Panthers (17-6, 3-1) sent nine batters to the plate in the
bottom of the sixth to score four runs, with two of them coming on
Bre Evans' suicide squeeze play.

With runners at second and third, Evans' bunt was fielded
cleanly but thrown past catcher Becca Nerstad, allowing Danica
Schiff, who reached on an infield single, to score the tying run.
Courtesy runner Madison Walters kept running, and the throw from
Nerstad to pitcher Corie Goodman at the plate was wide, putting
Vista ahead 2-1.

"I didn't even know the squeeze was on," Petty said. "I couldn't
believe we tried it and that it worked."

Kirsten Herrera doubled in the third run, and Katie Moi singled
in the Panthers' final run.

Melissa Tobia led the Longhorns' offense with a 3-for-3
outing.

Goodman allowed seven hits while striking out five with two
walks. But she took the loss in the duel against Petty.

"A couple of mental errors," RBV coach Theresa Murillo. "I
thought it would take an error to decide this game because it was
going to be a pitchers' duel.

"Once they helped us, we turned around and helped them, and you
can't do that."